General Dynamics (GD): Today's Featured Aerospace/Defense Winner

Editor's Note: TheStreet ratings do not represent the views of TheStreet's staff or its contributors. Ratings are established by computer based on metrics for performance (which includes growth, stock performance, efficiency and valuation) and risk (volatility and solvency). Companies with poor cash flow or high debt levels tend to earn lower ratings in our model.

General Dynamics ( GD) pushed the Aerospace/Defense industry higher today making it today's featured aerospace/defense winner. The industry as a whole closed the day up 0.7%. By the end of trading, General Dynamics rose 83 cents (1.3%) to $67.32 on average volume. Throughout the day, 2.1 million shares of General Dynamics exchanged hands as compared to its average daily volume of 2.3 million shares. The stock ranged in a price between $66.71-$67.77 after having opened the day at $66.73 as compared to the previous trading day's close of $66.49. Other companies within the Aerospace/Defense industry that increased today were: Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation ( SWHC), up 4.6%, Sturm Ruger & Company ( RGR), up 3.9%, Taser International ( TASR), up 3.2%, and Embraer S.A ( ERJ), up 3%.

EXCLUSIVE OFFER: Jim Cramer's Protégé, Dave Peltier, only buys Stocks Under $10 that he thinks could potentially double. See what he's trading today with a 14-day FREE pass.

General Dynamics Corporation, an aerospace and defense company, provides business aviation; combat vehicles, weapons systems, and munitions; military and commercial shipbuilding; and communications and information technology products and services worldwide. General Dynamics has a market cap of $23.54 billion and is part of the industrial goods sector. Shares are down 3.8% year to date as of the close of trading on Thursday. Currently there are 12 analysts that rate General Dynamics a buy, one analyst rates it a sell, and four rate it a hold.

TheStreet Ratings rates General Dynamics as a buy. Among the primary strengths of the company is its solid financial position based on a variety of debt and liquidity measures that we have evaluated. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company has had sub par growth in net income.